Such a richly detailed, floor-to-fly-space set, elegantly wrought, character-defining costumes, paired with a live, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra performance of Prokofiev's stirring score could easily overwhelm the intimate, wrenching story of two star-crossed young lovers.

But it doesn't.

From the spark of their first meeting to beautifully passionate scenes and their heartbreaking undoing, the lovers remain the absolute focal point of the production, directed and choreographed by Michael Pink.

The ballet opens broadly, using the first act to set up character and family relationships. Stage-filling corps scenes are interwoven with playful, and then increasingly angry, interplay between individual characters.

The second act draws the focus even more toward the individuals, speeding the pace of the storytelling and deepening the audience's investment in those characters.

The third act is all about the passion and the eventual tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The gradual shift from big, broad scenes to smaller, more interpersonal scenes throughout the first two acts paves the way for deeply intimate scenes between the two title characters.

Pink tells the couple's story in remarkable detail, avoiding awkward pantomime and investing every movement with meaning while never shying from raw emotion.

Luz San Miguel and Davit Hovhannisyan reprised their roles as Juliet and her Romeo on Thursday, dancing with exquisite grace, in an engrossing physical and emotional connection with and flawless embodiment of their characters.

They both began the production with a believable air of carefree playfulness, creating a long, compelling crescendo of emotional depth as their romance intensified. They needed not a word in this articulate telling of their story.

Alexandre Ferreira was delightfully up to no good in his portrayal of Mercutio, joined by an energetic Marc Petrocci as his friend and co-conspirator in shenanigans, Benvolio.

Ryan Martin created a proud, powerful Tybalt. Timothy O'Donnell as Paris, Denis Malinkine and Susan Gartell as the Capulets and Nadia Thompson in the character role of the Nurse, all delivered strong, meaningful performances.

The orchestra and music director Andrews Sill vacillated between powerful full-orchestra work and uneven exposed passages.

IF YOU GO

The Milwaukee Ballet's "Romeo & Juliet" runs through Sunday in Uihlein Hall of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. For tickets visit milwaukeeballet.org or call (414) 273-7206.

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Keep up with the art scene and trends in urban design with art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher. Every week, you'll get the latest reviews, musings on architecture and her picks for what to do on the weekends.